# What saint has the highest body count? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 24, 2017, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-saint-has-the-highest-body-count/792058 "2017-07-24T21:39:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hector\_St\_Clare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Hector\_St\_Clare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hector_St_Clare)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2017, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-saint-has-the-highest-body-count/792058/21 "2017-07-29T14:26:57Z")
In any case, while I disagree with him, Paul VI wasn’t prohibiting efforts to reduce birth rates in general, he was prohibiting certain specific methods to reduce fertility. The most state-of-the-art methods of natural family planning have an efficacy comparable to condoms although a bit less than the pill. ---
**Author:** ![igor\_frankensteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/839c29/32.png) [@igor\_frankensteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/igor_frankensteen)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2017, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-saint-has-the-highest-body-count/792058/22 "2017-07-29T14:43:23Z")
Not sure it matters for the “fun” goal of the thread, but everyone SHOULD realize that Catholic Sainthood isn’t awarded primarily to reward good works. Saints are primarily chosen for political purposes. Hence the large number of violent leaders in their lists. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2017, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-saint-has-the-highest-body-count/792058/23 "2017-07-29T14:46:00Z")
And as a nitpick, according to the Church, they’re not choosing saints, but merely recognizing them. God chooses the saints, and there are a lot more of them than appear on any official list. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2017, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-saint-has-the-highest-body-count/792058/24 "2017-08-03T00:43:52Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Except that Jesus was already dead when Longinus poked him. He might have intended it as an act of mercy, but he was too late. But the legend is that blood and water came out of the wound. Dead bodies don’t bleed. For the bodycount question, many saints were vicious bastards \*before \*they were converted. Does the Bible indicate how many Christians were persecuted by St Paul? He could be a candidate. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2017, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-saint-has-the-highest-body-count/792058/25 "2017-08-03T00:48:15Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > But the legend is that blood and water came out of the wound. Dead bodies don’t bleed… Dead bodies also don’t raise from the dead 3 days later. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2017, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-saint-has-the-highest-body-count/792058/26 "2017-08-03T02:36:03Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > But the legend is that blood and water came out of the wound. Dead bodies don’t bleed. > > For the bodycount question, many saints were vicious bastards \*before \*they were converted. Does the Bible indicate how many Christians were persecuted by St Paul? He could be a candidate. Err… I don’t think he has a body count. An asshole, sure, but did he kill anybody? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2017, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-saint-has-the-highest-body-count/792058/27 "2017-08-03T03:07:21Z")
I don’t know. Did his persecution involve executing them? Any Bible scholars can tell us? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2017, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-saint-has-the-highest-body-count/792058/28 "2017-08-03T03:08:56Z")
Didn’t he take part in the stoning of Stephen, at least? Of course, you might argue that a stoning doesn’t count as a full kill on one’s record, since many people share the blame… but then, the same could be said of warmongering rulers, since the blame there must be shared among the entire chain of command, all the way down to the poor grunt with the spear who did the actual stabbing. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2017, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-saint-has-the-highest-body-count/792058/29 "2017-08-03T04:23:13Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Didn’t he take part in the stoning of Stephen, at least? > > Of course, you might argue that a stoning doesn’t count as a full kill on one’s record, since many people share the blame… but then, the same could be said of warmongering rulers, since the blame there must be shared among the entire chain of command, all the way down to the poor grunt with the spear who did the actual stabbing. Witnessed, I think. Not that he disapproved, but wasn’t participating. Granted, joining a stoning back then was roughly equivalent to jaywalking today. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2017, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-saint-has-the-highest-body-count/792058/30 "2017-08-03T05:54:39Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Granted, joining a stoning back then was roughly equivalent to jaywalking today. Not if you were female! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-saint-has-the-highest-body-count/792058.md?page=1)